By Maya Gambhir, Staff Writer
In the past few weeks, River Hill’s beloved Dance Program has begun preparations for the 2025-2026 school year! On February 27th and 28th, placement auditions took place for new and existing dancers to determine which group they will be a part of next school year. Auditions were held in the Dance Room from 3:30 pm to 7:00 pm on Thursday the 27th, and 3:30 pm to 10:00 pm on Friday the 28th.
Through auditions, each dancer was placed into one of the four groups that compose the River Hill Dance program: Dance 1, Dance II-IV, Junior Company (JCO), and Senior Company (DCO). All four groups choreograph and perform at the Winter and Spring concerts, but “only Junior and Senior Companies perform at assemblies, pep rallies, and the Howard County Dance Festival,” explains 11th grade member of Junior Company Jennifer Newman, who auditioned again this year. The goal was to determine the best spot to place each dancer, based on their individual experience and skill. Current 8th-11th graders, or rising 9th-12th graders, participated in the process, since they will compose River Hill’s dance program for the 2025-2026 school year. “Everyone can audition, so we had people from every level, and some new people who hadn’t danced before,” explains Newman.
However, auditions come down to a lot more than just skill. One of the biggest factors that can set a dancer apart during the audition process is their personality and attitude towards the piece and those around them, which can speak to their aptitude as not only a dancer, but as a member of a team. Junior member of Senior Company Helen Quill remarked that “Ms. Byrd isn’t just looking for good dancers, she’s also looking for good people. At auditions in general, people usually pick you out of a crowd for your great facials and personality on the dance floor.”
Both days of auditions were long but varied, consisting of a variety of skills crucial to dance. According to Jennifer Newman, “we learned four across-the-floor combos, and two short dances, one lyrical and one jazz,” which is important since new members can get a feel for how River Hill Dance operates and choreographs. Since it’s difficult to learn so much so fast, dancers had to remain focused and disciplined throughout the process. Auditions also included conditioning and stretching, which are two areas that also attest to a dancer’s overall aptitude. According to Newman, “how people handle themselves under the stress of having to learn a lot in a short amount of time” is another key aspect to their audition.
The River Hill Dance community is a very tight-knit one, since dancers spend so much time collaborating and rehearsing together. According to Sophomore Olivia Muzzatti, who dances on DCO, RHHS’s dance program is “very supportive with really dedicated dancers who want to be there.” The audition experience was overwhelmingly positive, with Sophomore member of DCO Andie Rahman explaining that the program “is more like a family than anything else because we’re all close and supportive of each other.”
This year’s dance auditions were a huge success, with many members already beginning to look forward to next school year. For those who have been a part of the community throughout their high school experience, each new year is an opportunity to express their creativity, meet new people, and dance with their friends. Rising Senior Helen Quill remarked that she “can’t wait to choreograph [her] last pieces, dance once more with DCO, and of course, perform on our amazing RHHS stage for the last time.” River Hill can’t wait to see the dance program shine once again next year!